Changing hydraulic fluids - HUGE drain pans?

[Jay4200]

When I got my L4200, I had to add a couple of gallons of hydro-fluid (due to a long-seeping sight glass), and I changed the hydraulic-fluid filter, but didn't replace the bulk of the fluid. I'm ready to change out the mess, but can't for the life of me figure out what to use to catch the drained fluid. My tractor holds a little over 10 gallons of hydraulic fluid, and there's not a whole lot of room under the drain point, not to mention all of the clearance used up by my backhoe subframe mount. What on this earth is flat enough to slip under the tractor AND hold 10+ gallons of stuff at the same time AND be able to be handled so that the old fluid can be poured into a suitable container afterwords without creating a Superfund site in the process? Same question holds for the 5 additional gallons sitting in the front axle.

Maybe dig an access pit with the backhoe first and use a couple of 5-gallon buckets? Still sounds like quite the mess trying to change buckets in the middle...

Thanks - JayC

 

[6sunset6]

I will be real interested in this. Will have the same problem myself very shortly.

 

[heymack]

Can you lift the machine up with FEL and backhoe then block it somehow? With my tractors, I've never had a clearance problem slipping 5 gallon buckets under.

 

[jsborn]

Not sure how much room you have under your machine but look at this mortar box it should hold approx 17 gal.

Find Pro Mortar Box, 29" x 23" x 6" and other Masonry Tools at Aubuchon Hardware

 

[Kendall69]

This is what I use on my big trucks and the tractors


Lisle Truck Oil Drain | Oil Drains | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[Rusty]

I used a 10 gallon RubberMaid storage tub for the last hydraulic fluid (3.3 gallons) change on my B7500 HSD. It worked quite well. I was able to slide it wherever I wanted under the tractor, and caught all the fluid. You may be able to find a similar, larger tub or pan. I removed the front wheels to drain the front axle, eliminating quite a mess from the previous drain.

 

[schmism]

its not THAT big of an issue, i just use a regular drain pain which holds ~2-2.5 gal without makeing a mess... and did it in 3 lifts.

i just layed there under the tractor watching it pour into the drain pan then stuck the drain plug back in with a few turns while i got up and emptied and replaced the pan..

repeat above as needed.

with a second pan and a helper there would be virtually no need for you to have to move and could keep an contious streem of fluid

 

[johnk]

I did it the same way Schmism did it. Hopefully that drain plug goes back in easily. I filled the drain pan, dumped it into one of the 2 buckets I had standing by and relitively spilled little fluid. I was scared at first also but as long as that drain plug goes in you're all set. Good Luck.

 

[RedDog]

If my memory serves me, I have 17" of clearance under my drain points, so I cut down a plastic 55 gallon drum.

My tractor has 15 gallons of hydraulic fluid and the cut down 55 gallon drum catches it all.


I think I cut the drum so it is 15" tall.

 

[Jay4200]

If my memory serves me, I have 17" of clearance under my drain points, so I cut down a plastic 55 gallon drum.

I had to cut down a 5 gallon bucket to about 10" high for my engine oil changes, so I guess I have about a foot of clearance under the front. I only have about half that under my backhoe mount, however, thus the problem.

I'm sure the multi-stage approach in a little drain pan would work (5x dumps), but I was hoping for something a little less attention-intensive. I like that truck drain pan - awfully pricy though.

JayC